Pontiac, MI: 1 Health Violation - Home Safety 82/100
4 ZIP codes · 3 water systems · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Pontiac: B.
This ZIP looks solid, with a few items worth a quick check.
Within Pontiac, safety indicators for tap water remain above the MI median - documented violations are infrequent and the city's compliance record sits in the upper tier.
How Pontiac Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
What You Should Know About Pontiac Water
- Your city's water systems recorded 5 violations in the past 5 years.
- Average lead level: 0.0016 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 81% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,500 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 11.75.
Who Supplies Your Water in Pontiac
Residential addresses in Pontiac, MI are served by 3 primary water providers out of 3 systems in federal records. Each system maintains separate infrastructure and files its own EPA compliance reports, so service conditions are not uniform across the city.
- B
- B
- B
Overview
We track home safety data for 4 ZIP codes in Pontiac, Michigan (population ~61,983), covering 3 community water systems serving approximately 139,372 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 3 of 4 ZIP codes.
2 of 3 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (67%) have recorded EPA violations. 1 health-based violation appear in the available health breakdown.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Pontiac: B (82/100)
Model 4.0.0 uses four measured components across three equally weighted domains. If a required domain is unavailable, no score is published:
| Factor | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Water Quality | EPA violations and compliance history |
| PFAS MCL Screen | UCMR 5 testing against the covered federal MCLs |
| Radon Risk | EPA radon zone classification |
| Annual AQI | EPA AirData county-year median with at least 90 observed days |
Water Sources
Pontiac water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0016 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 0 of 3 ZIP codes with known status exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 2 (Moderate Risk)
- Zone 1 (High): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 2 (Moderate): 4 ZIP codes
- Zone 3 (Low): 0 ZIP codes
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Top Contaminants
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | ZIPs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting | 4 | 2 |
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | Disinfection Byproducts | 3 | 2 |
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Technique | 3 | 2 |
| Surface Water Treatment Rule | Treatment Technique | 2 | 1 |
Areas with Most Violations
Areas with No Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | System | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48342 | B | Pontiac | 63,776 |
All ZIP Codes in Pontiac
Data Sources
- Water quality: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)
- Lead/copper: EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data
- Radon: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Reporting periods vary by source. Missing data is shown as unavailable, not as zero.
Health Outcomes in Pontiac
Source: CDC PLACES (County-level estimates). Water contamination can correlate with respiratory and chronic health conditions.
Compared to National Average
Vertical line = national average. ■ Above national · ■ Below national
Top Contaminants in Pontiac Water
Based on EPA violation records. Check your ZIP code report for system-specific contaminant data.
Housing & Infrastructure in Pontiac
With 81% of homes built before 1986, lead solder in plumbing is a potential concern. The EPA banned lead solder in 1986, but many older homes retain original plumbing.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
Housing Age Profile
Viewed through the lens of construction era, Pontiac is predominantly an older city - a median build year of 1956 puts most of the residential inventory in the range where pre-1986 plumbing materials were the standard.
Over half of homes in Pontiac were built before 1986, when lead solder was banned. Older plumbing may leach lead into drinking water, especially with corrosive water chemistry.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.
Cost Context: What Remediation Means for Pontiac Homeowners
In Pontiac, the equity share of documented remediation is meaningful enough to move the household financial perspective from routine maintenance into deliberate budgeting territory - the cost-to-value ratio is moderate, and most homeowners benefit from mapping the full scope against available budgets before committing.
Remediation costs are moderate relative to home values in Pontiac. The estimated $700–$2,500 range is manageable for most homeowners but still worth budgeting for. Home values are 48% below the Michigan average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Pontiac
Why children are most at risk: The CDC states there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Children under 6 absorb lead more readily than adults, and even low levels can cause developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral problems.
Pulling a tap sample fills the gap that utility data cannot close, particularly here where 81% of housing dates from the pre-rule era and citywide monitoring sits at or above the regulatory mark in Pontiac.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Historical NFIP Claim Context in Pontiac
Historical NFIP data for Pontiac contains 6 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $3,842. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 50% have an A- or V-family dominant rated zone recorded in those historical claims. This is not a complete current FEMA property-map inventory.
How flooding affects water quality: Flood events can introduce sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial chemicals into water supplies. Even after floodwaters recede, contamination can persist in wells and aging infrastructure. The <strong>$1,500</strong> remediation estimate shown here excludes flood insurance and is not derived from NFIP claim count.
Claim count does not establish current property risk. Check the exact address in FEMA's current map and obtain a property-specific insurance quote when relevant.
Source: historical FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claim records. No current FEMA property-map designation is asserted.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Pontiac, MI